WTBU’s new studio is up and running: “We are the premier collegiate station right now.”
General manager Kyle Davi talks about transitioning from a station straight out of the 1980s to a state-of-the-art new studio
WTBU's new studio is up and running as of 11am Wednesday. After a fire in the spring of 2016 destroyed the old studio, WTBU has step up a new space in the station's old headquarters.
After the fire radio programming had to be cut for the rest of the semester.
"Our DJs were upset because they essentially lost their home," Davi said. "It's a community here. When you lose your safe space it's crazy and stressful."
However, while the new studio was under construction for a year and a half, DJs made do with a small set up in the basement of COM. Kyle Davi, General Manager of WTBU radio and his team spent last school year in their temporary space and managed to continue broadcasting during the construction.
"It wasn't a legitimate studio but it gave us an area where we could still broadcast, which is amazing," said Davi. "Now we're here after a year and a half…finally in this new studio. It's the best studio ever, in my opinion."
Brand spanking-new equipment. Photo by Rebecca Moszka.
According to Davi the reconstruction process was expensive, costing over half a million dollars as it is equipped with "everything."
"Everything is so new and we have double the space in every capacity we can think of," said Davi citing how there are now six microphones instead of five, as well as a "brand new digitized audio board."
The overall sound quality is much better as well.
"[Listeners] are going to be shocked by the great audio quality," Davi said. "This is on par with professional radio stations. We are the premier collegiate station right now!"
According to Davi the most exciting aspect of the new studio is the live performance studio, which is expected to open in two or three weeks.
"It's double the size of our old studio," said Davi. "We can have bands come in and perform live on air. That is the core of radio: live performances. Nothing gets better than that and I'm really excited to have that opened."
Davi credits Jake Kassen, Technical Operations Manager, as being influential in the construction of the new studio.
"He has been the go-to man for everything," said Davi. "He has been the one who has been pushing the project from the start. He is the one who designed the studio, who put it all together. I can't express my thanks enough to him."
DJs in the new studio. Photo by Rebecca Moszka.